Friday, November 29, 2013

19 ...and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 Now that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love undying.

Also: Col 4: 7-8

Ed. Note: This is the final installment of our Daily Bible Study of Ephesians; but worry not, for a new one is about to begin. For the Season of Advent, we will be SOAPing the passages of Holy Scripture known as the Jesse Tree. Stay tuned, same SOAP time, same SOAP channel!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

16 ...besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

13 Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace...

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ; 6 not in the way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Please take a moment to pray for the victims of the tornadoes which struck central and eastern Illinois yesterday. We have some very close friends in Peoria which is about 15 miles or so west of Washington where a massive tornado hit and killed at least one person. Please pray for the first responders who have been working since yesterday to locate and help the survivors. Pray for those who have lost everything. Give thanks for those who survived and for those who are now helping their neighbors.

O God, we give thanks to God for his mercy and grace; and we pray for your blessings to be upon all those who are effected by these storms. We place our trust in you and in your providence. We trust that your face will shine upon those who are in need, and that your people will seek comfort in your presence and in the generosity of your Spirit. Bless those who have experienced the power of the storm. Bless those who have responded to help them. Gracious God, keep them all in your loving sight, and give them peace. Amen.

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right, 2 "Honor your father and mother," (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 "that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth."

Thursday, November 14, 2013

31 ..."For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is a profound one, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church;...

In preparation for the Bishop's visit in January, I will be conducting Confirmation classes beginning this week and lasting for approximately 4-6 weeks. I will offer classes on Thursday evening from 6 to 7:30 pm and on Friday from 10:30 am to Noon. Those wishing to be Confirmed may attend either of those options. Please let me know which you like to attend.

28 Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body...

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

For those who are looking for a sermon post for this week, I'm sorry but since I was out of town this past weekend visiting friends in Illinois, I don't have one to post. In the absence of a sermon, however, let me offer this thought:

"So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word." 2 Thessalonians 2: 15-17

There are times when our strengthen fails and our faith is challenged. It is in those times of weakness and doubt that we rely on our traditions, our liturgy and on the Word of God. Stand firm! Hold fast! Through God's mercy and grace we can endure all the assaults and snares of the devil.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Monday, November 11, 2013

21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.

Friday, November 8, 2013

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20 always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

8 ...for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; 13 but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 14 Therefore it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light."

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

5 Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not associate with them...

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Friday, November 1, 2013

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

20 You did not so learn Christ! -- 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. 22 Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

17 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; 18 they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; 19 they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Yesterday, I shared a link to a presentation that was made at the GAFCON II assembly meeting now in Nairobi, Kenya. This is a meeting of orthodox Anglicans from the Global South, North America and Great Britain. This presentation is worth everyone's study and comment. It is a brilliant critique of the current relationship of the Western Church and the world. The presenter pulls no punches, and brings to the fore a discussion of western narcissism and entitlement that is, in my opinion, spot on.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness [sic] of Christ;

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." 9 (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bod of peace.

Friday, October 18, 2013

20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

16 ...that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love...

Thursday, October 10, 2013

1 Then the king [Josiah] sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. 3 And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statures, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book; and all the people joined in the covenant. 4 And the king commanded Hilki'ah, the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Ba'al, for Ashe'rah, and for all the host of heaven; he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.

2 Kings 23: 10

10 And he defiled To'pheth, which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech.

2 Kings 23: 24-25

24 Moreover Josi'ah put away the mediums and the wizards and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilki'ah the priest found in the house of the Lord. 25 before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

"Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith: 'Thou shalt love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great Commandment. The second is like unto it: thou shalt love thy neighbors as thyself. On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Josiah was the last good king of Judah prior to its fall to the Babylonians in 586 BC. He was one of only a handful of kings who are identified in 2 Kings as doing what is right in the eyes of God. Josiah should be one of our heroes. We should hold him up as an example of how we can turn away from the dumb idols, false prophets and heretical teachings of this world. It should also serve as a reminder to us of how much a single person can do when one allows oneself to be lead by the Word of God.

10 ...that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord...

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given me by the working of is power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things...

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

4 When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

14 Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. 15 I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Simple, straight forward statement from Paul. God is a jealous God, and he has every right to be so. He created us. He has sustained us. He saves us. Yet we have this tendency to turn away and seek something from apostate teachers, false gods and worthless idols.

Where were you on Sunday? Were you in church, participating in the Holy Sacrifice? Where will you be on Wednesday? Where will you be next Sunday? From whose cup will you drink? Which bread will you consume?

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles - 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone...

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP '28

...16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace...

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands - 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Tomorrow is the celebration of our Patronal Feast: St. Michael and All Angels. For those who might be wondering about this, Christ Memorial was consecrated as a memorial church for the soldiers, Confederate and Union, who fought and died at the Battle of Mansfield in April 1864. As such, several years ago, it was decided that it would be appropriate to name St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of soldiers, as the Patron of Christ Memorial.

Please come and celebrate this day with us, worship God our Father, study his Holy Word and stay after the 10:30 am Mass for a cook out. Cal is cooking burgers and hot dogs. Anyone who can, please bring your favorite side or covered dish.

The St. Luke's Medical Van will be visiting us tomorrow as well, so if you need your blood pressure checked or would like to learn more about helping St. Luke's in its ministry, this is your chance.

We are also very pleased that Deacon Kay Hunter will be with us tomorrow. It has been some time since she was transferred to St. Matthias, and this is our opportunity to say hello to her again.

Friday, September 27, 2013

St. Vincent de Paul was born at Pouy, France on April 24, 1581. He was ordained a priest on September 23, 1600. Vincent devoted himself entirely to the alleviation of the sufferings of the poor, and to that purpose established the Confraternities of Charity, later known as the Ladies of Charity, in 1617. In 1625 he founded the Congregation of the Mission, his community of priests and brothers. With Louise de Marillac, he co-founded the Daughters of Charity in 1633. Vincent died in Paris on September 27, 1660 and was canonized in 1737. Pope Leo XIII declared him patron saint of all works of charity.You can read more about St. Vincent de Paul here.Fr. Michael+

Thursday, September 26, 2013

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? or you, why do you despise your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." 12 So each of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14: 10-12

It seems to me that there are two questions that everyone should ask themselves fairly often: 1) Do I believe that some day, on the day of my death or at the end of times, that I will stand before Jesus Christ sitting on his throne and receive judgment? If the answer is yes, then the second question immediately applies: 2) Do I think Jesus will be pleased with what I have done?

If we take our faith seriously, if we really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has redeemed the entirety of Creation with his most Sacred Blood, then we should ACT LIKE IT! This is not always easy. We are fallen and broken creatures who, because of the stain of original sin, cannot come to the Father and have a right relationship with him on our own. We must do so through creation's only Savior, Jesus Christ. This means that we must confess our sins and lay them at the foot of the Cross of Christ. If we turn to him and away from our sins, we will be forgiven; and when our judgment day arrives, he will remember the times we spent with him for our sins will have already been forgotten.

31 When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Matthew 25: 31-33

But what if the answer to the original question is, "No, I do not believe that some day, on the day of my death or at the end of times, that I will stand before Jesus Christ sitting on his throne and receive judgment." The way that I read Scripture, it won't matter that you don't believe it. It will happen. Every knee will bow before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The sheep, those who have believed and acted according to that belief, will be at his right hand and will, "...inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...(Matt 25: 34)" However, those who did not believe or who believed but failed to act according to that belief will, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels... (Matt 25: 41)"

Perhaps it is time for us and for our families and for our society to remember that we all will be judged; and that we should give thanks to God that the one who is doing the judging is merciful.

It is time to stop living for ourselves and worrying about the insignificant things of this world.

It is time to start considering the joyous promise of eternal life that can only come through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is not our place to worry; it is our place to rejoice.

Live like Jesus Christ is the only thing that matters in our lives, because he is.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; 10 not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolater, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber - not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. "Drive out the wicked person from among you."

Chapter 6 - Lawsuits among Believers
1 When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life? 4 If then you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who are least esteemed by the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren.

These are two very powerful passages that require us to think, not as citizens of the world, but as citizens of the Kingdom of God. As I understand it, Paul is telling the people of the Church of Corinth not to harbor evil and immoral men within their ranks. He is presupposing, rightly I might add, that those in the church are committed to avoiding immorality. I do not think Paul is claiming the members should be perfect and that people be shunned for minor transgressions. Paul is talking about unrepentant sinners. We are all sinners, but as believers in Christ Jesus we seek to turn away from sin and find in Christ's forgiveness the means to walk apart from sin and death. Those who refuse to repent and continue to engage and promote sinfulness remain mired in the ways of the world, and must therefore return to the world, until he can be reconciled to God through Christ. See 2 Cor 5: 11 - 6: 13

The second part of the reading for today speaks to our present condition; namely the current practice of one group of Christians suing another group of Christians for property and money. The Current Unpleasantness that grips the Episcopal Church, in truth the entire Anglican Communion, is one that must be settled within the ranks of the Church, not in courts of law in Texas, Illinois, California and Virginia. It is reprehensible that the leadership of the Church has sought to gain financial advantage over fellow believers in Christ. Many of those who sought to leave the Church over profound and deeply held doctrinal issues offered means to bring about a fair and equitable departure; yet those offers were rebuffed. Now, millions upon millions of dollars have gone into the pockets of attorneys around the country. That is money that could have been used to teach, preach and reinforce the Good News of Jesus Christ among the people of the nations.

Our mission is to bring the people of this land to a personal relationship with God our Father through his Son Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is the only way to salvation. He is the only way to the Father. He is the only way to everlasting life in Heaven. If we spend all our time and effort suing each other, how are we supposed to do that?

6 ...and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

All announcements are posted on the bulletin board along with sign up sheets for Wednesday night attendance.Also there is a sign up sheet if you would like to host the supper one Wednesday night.

Time to start collecting items for Operation Christmas Child.National Collection Week is November 18-25. **You can pick up boxes in the parish hall to fill at home.There is a sign up sheet so Fr. Michael can keep up with the number of boxes that are out.Thanks!

SHOUT OUTS

To Samantha for the wonderful breakfasts she has provided for the Bible Studyclass the past two Sundays!

To All the Altar Guild volunteers!

ECW

***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***

The time is drawing near and we are extremely short handed.We need all volunteers, young, oldish, male, and female.Please give some careful thought and prayer to helping with this year’s bazaar, November 7. Contact any of the ECW members if you know you can help.Also it is not too soon to start baking and freezing for the bake sale.

Volunteers are needed to be in charge of the White Elephant sale.

Please give careful consideration to the items you donate to the White Elephant sale .Those items need to be usable and in good repair.

PRAY THIS WEEK ESPECIALLY FOR

All those on our Intercession list.

Helen Jordan

Kermie Valentine

THINK ABOUT IT

It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God’s command so what we see was made by something that cannot be seen.Hebrews 11:3

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HAIL MARY full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.HOLY MARY, mother of God;
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

5 He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children;

6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,

7 so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

One of the reasons for the steady decline of the Episcopal Church (and most mainline churches for that matter) over the past 50 years has been a woeful lack of catechism. Have we taught our children well? And I don't just mean in Sunday School. Have we as Christian parents done a good job of raising children who knew Jesus Christ, not just as some abstract concept, but as their personal Lord and Savior?

The Church must do a better job of providing Christian Formation to all ages: children, youth and adults. That is why we are working so hard at Christ Memorial to provide Bible Studies that will strengthen the flock. This will not work, however, if nobody comes, and if we don't take it seriously.

How will our children and our children's children come to know Jesus Christ if we don't make learning his Word and Worshiping his Holy Name a major part of our lives? Ours is a rebellious generation, and we should strive to show our children that it is better to live according to the law of God, the example of Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Monday, September 23, 2013

1 And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among these we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

"And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour, when they crucified him. Mark 15: 20-25

I think it is good to contemplate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Friday, the day traditionally observed as the day of his death. It is good to cast our eyes upon the Cross which bears his body and remember the sacrifice paid by the Son of God so that all might be made free. It is proper, I think, to do this as a preparation for the Feast which comes on Sunday as we celebrate his sacrifice and his resurrection.

Good Friday may only come around once every calendar year, but should we not also take the time to consider the Cross of Christ the other fifty-one Fridays of the year?

Thursday, September 19, 2013

20 ...which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come;

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

18 ...having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might.

"Then arose Jeshua the son of Jo'zadak, with his fellow priest, and Zerub'bablel the son the She-al'ti-el with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings upon it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. They set the altar in its place, for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings upon it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. And they kept the feast of booths, as it was written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ordinance, as each day required, and after that the continual burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of every one who made a freewill offering to the Lord. Ezra 3: 2-5

Not sure why these verses jumped out at me. Maybe it's because we just restored the Altar to its proper place in the Sanctuary. Maybe it's because we burn a lot of incense as an offering to God. Feel free to comment.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Yesterday was Friday the 13th. I know this because I stumbled upon a marathon showing of all the Friday the 13th movies on SyFy Thursday night. Gross!

I hope that this past week has been blessed by their daily study of Ephesians; and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Mass and Bible Study tomorrow.

BIG NEWS: The work in the Sanctuary is done! The floor is in, the Altar is restored to its proper place and it all looks fantastic. Thank you so much Joe Cobb for the outstanding workmanship. It will be nice to have things back to normal.

A really big thanks also goes out to Walter, John and Robert Asseff who provided the contributions to make the restoration of the Sanctuary possible.

Please be thinking, praying and shopping in preparation for our Operation Christmas Child effort this year. We also need contributions to pay for the shipping of the boxes overseas. This year, we are planning on registering our boxes so that we can track where they go. We are also going to put a personalized card into each box so the recipient will know from whence it came and who is praying for them.

Friday, September 13, 2013

13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

"Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, 'I am now old and well advanced in years; and you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. The Lord your God will push them back before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you. Therefore be very steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right and nor to the left, that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down yourselves to them, but cleave to the Lord your God as you have done to this day. Joshua 23: 2-8

The admonition from God to his people about staying true to the law of Moses should ring true to us today. God set forth a law so that his people would be able to tell the difference between right and wrong; the Truth and the lies of the Prince of this World. It would behoove us well to remember that.

11 In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Twelve years ago, I stepped out of the shower and heard the radio reports of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center in New York. Being a student of history, my first thought went to a similar incident which occurred during the Second World War. A B-25 bomber, lost in bad weather, hit the upper floors of the Empire State Building. A tragedy, to be certain, but an accident nonetheless.

Our current condition, however, was no accident. Throughout the day, twelve years ago, I and my co-workers managed to get a small amount of work done in between trips to the break room where the television was bringing us the minute by minute details of what was happening in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. I watched as the South Tower fell. Everyone in the nation watched in stunned disbelief.

Since that time, our nation has gone to war and won many victories. We have endured many trials and upsets to our lives which we all knew would never be the same as soon as the second plane flew hit the building. Many have died and been wounded in the service of their country. They deserve our praise and thanks. Those who died on 9/11/01 shall be remembered.

It is only by the grace of God that we enjoy our liberty and our freedom; and we forget that simple fact at our own peril. God has provided for us. He has protected us. His guiding hand can be seen at work throughout our collective history, and in our personal lives, if we only take the time to see it.

On this anniversary of 9/11/01, may we all remember the fallen and give thanks to those who stand tall in defense of our nation. Most of all, may we render honor where honor is due, praise where it is most deserved and give thanks to the most holy Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who delivers us from the fear and oppression of sin and the grave and gives to all who believe in him everlasting life.

"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11: 1-3a

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished upon us. 9 For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fulness [sic] of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

All announcements are posted on the bulletin board along with sign up sheets for Wednesday night attendance. Also there is a sign up sheet if you would like to host the supper one Wednesday night.

Time to start collecting items for Operation Christmas Child.National Collection Week is November 18-25.

SHOUT OUTS

To all those who attended Christ Memorial’s First Family Bible Study this past Sunday.The parish hall was very festive with fresh flowers on each table and cheerful table coverings.Thanks Samantha! A delicious breakfast presented by Hwy 171 Café got us off to a great start.

Fr. Michael presented an over view of the Bible study program SOAP in which we all study the Bible together with our own families and our church family.

It is never too last to join us on Sunday mornings.See you there!!

ECW

***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***BAZAAR***

The time is drawing near and we are extremely short handed.WE need all volunteers, young, oldish, male, and female.Please give some careful thought and prayer to helping with this year’s bazaar, November 7. Contact any of the ECW members if you know you can help.Also it isnot too soon to start baking and freezing for the bake sale.

A volunteer or volunteers are needed to be in charge of the White Elephant sale.

Please give careful consideration to the items you donate to the White Elephant sale .Those items need to be usable and in good repair.

PRAY THIS WEEK ESPECIALLY FOR

All those on our Intercession list.

Helen Jordan

Kermie Valentine

THINK ABOUT IT

Who are you listening to??

God’s voice stills you.Satan’s voice rushes you.

God’s voice leads you.Satan’s voice pushes you.

God’s voice reassures you.Satan’s voice frightens you.

God’s voice comforts you.Satan’s voice worries you.

God’s voice calms you.Satan’s voice obsesses you.

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